predictions

With every E3, there are certain things to expect. The first is the inevitable “Who has won E3?” debate. Will Sony come out on top or Microsoft? The second is surprises and disappointments after hands-on time and demos on the show floor. I guarantee there’ll be one game that comes out of left field to impress players. The third thing is predictions. Everyone has one, and it’s a fun tradition to guess what will be announced and see how close the speculation is to the truth.

I have my own thoughts on the matter. Some are outlandish; others can conceivably happen. Here’s my wild guesses for E3 2014:

SONY: Hot on the heels of GDC, expect to see more Project Morpheus news. I doubt we’ll have a specific release date but something ambiguous like fall of 2015. To make up for that, we’ll probably see a few game demos for the virtual reality headset with the most impressive being a Gran Turismo 7. Sony and the folks behind the Souls series will reveal Project Beast, which will be an exclusive. One of the most impressive games will likely beThe Order: 1886, which will look tons better than what we saw last year. Also expect to see a sneak preview of Uncharted 4, which may make fans’ heads explode.

On the PlayStation Vita front, Sony will continue pushing the handheld. There’s already a rumored bundle leaked. But I figure we’ll see more of a focus of indie titles here or integration with Sony Online Entertainment. Maybe we can even see the upcoming DayZ clone H1Z1 playable on the system via Remote Play.

And lastly, we’ll probably see something on The Last Guardian. I refuse to believe that the long-anticipated titles is dead.

Expect to see more on Halo 5: Guardians at Microsoft’s presser.

MICROSOFT: The Redmond, Washington-based company has to come out swinging if it intends to build moment for the fall. I expect to see more Master Chief with details about Halo 5: Guardians. With the purchase of the Gears of War franchise from Epic Games, Microsoft should have a teaser to the next installment of the series. They’ll also show off Kevin Spacey and the new Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare with exclusives for the Xbox One. Remedy’s Quantum Break will look good, but I have doubts about it. I view Quantum Break and The Order: 1886 as being in the same boat — the two games that were shown last year, looked good but didn’t leave much of an imprint. This is the year where both have to blow gamers’ minds.

I expect more app integration for the Xbox One and a renewed push to make it the center of the living room. What Microsoft really needs to do is bolster that Skype integration. The announcements out of left field could possibly be a new Battletoads or an indie title such as No Man’s Sky going exclusive to Xbox One. Trying to one-up Sony on Project Morpheus, Microsoft may announce their own VR device or a partnership with Facebook and Oculus. They have to do something here because that technology is a game-changer and will define the upcoming generation of titles.

For even wilder speculation, Microsoft may even offer a price cut on the Xbox One as it tries to catch up with Sony.

NINTENDO: Normally one of the best at keeping secrets. Fans may have had a sneak peek at what’s time come at E3 with this purported picture of Mario Maker. Moving beyond that, expect more revelations with new Super Smash Bros. characters and a gameplay trailer for Pokemon Omega Ruby and Pokemon Alpha Sapphire.

The bigger news will be whether a new Super Mario Bros. or new Zelda is announced. Both of these are the cornerstones of Nintendo consoles, and the Japanese company should reveal one of them. If Nintendo keeps quiet, that would be a huge disappointment and a blow to the Wii U’s prospects.

When it comes to pie-in-the-sky predictions, there’s always hope that legendary game designer Shigeru Miyamoto could show off an original game. It’s been a long time since he offered a new IP. The bigger news could be Nintendo’s foray into app development. That could be a boost to the company and signal a sea-change for the industry.

OTHER BIG NAMES: On the third party side, I’m hoping to see two games from DICE — Star Wars Battlefront, which will likely come out next year perhaps in conjunction with the new movie, and Mirrors Edge 2. Those two will be front-runners for game of the show. Activision and Bungie’s baby, Destiny, will continue to wow audiences. Meanwhile, everyone’s waiting to see if Bethesda will come out with a new Fallout. That’s another huge megaton announcement.

My high hopes is for Capcom. The company needs another hit and perhaps it will have one in a new Street Fighter. Speaking of fighting games, perhaps we’ll finally get a playable version of Bandai Namco’s Tekken x Street Fighter. We’ll see how everything unfolds on Monday, when the big companies hold their pressers.

It’s the Xbox One, left controller, and PlayStation 4, right controller, that will regenerate most of the headlines at E3 2013.

With E3 a few hours away, I want to go on the record with my predictions. There have already been leaks and confirmations this week. Thanks to an early copy of Game Informer, fans know that Respawn Entertainment’s new franchise will be called Titanfall. More recently, Microsoft confirmed details about its upcoming Xbox One, including the fact that yes it will play used games and will need an Internet connection once a day.

Despite these surprises, I’m sure there’s going to be more than one megaton announcements. Let’s look in crystal ball and see what else is in store for gamers during the show.

LIKELY TO HAPPENPlayStation 4 will have a similar used games policy to Microsoft. Sure, the Xbox One caught a lot of heat with the convoluted way it introduced sharing games and purchasing used ones. But if the market has anything to say about it, expect a similar publisher-driven fee structure for preowned titles. The companies who put out games don’t want to lose money, and if Sony takes that revenue flow off the table, they may miss out on games. Then again, Titanfall is reportedly an Xbox One and PC exclusive and there may be a reason for that.

The Last Guardianwill be announced. Honestly, that’s all I want from the PlayStation 3 this year. If Fumito Ueda’s long-awaited game comes out this holiday season, it’d be a perfect sendoff for the system.

Don’t expect all your questions about next-gen systems to be answered. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that game companies like to drag out reveals. They want to let tidbit of information dribble out slowly so that they can keep the console and games at the top of mind. At E3, we’re likely going to get a look at the actual PlayStation 4 console and we’ll see Xbox One’s exclusive games, but the prices on titles (Will they stay the same or go higher to $69) and hardware will likely not be available. Sony and Microsoft will announce those details at other game expos down the road.

THIS MAY HAPPEN
I don’t have any idea why there’s so much vitriol for the Xbox One. If Apple decided to come out with it and called the console the iGame or the new AppleTV, there’d be a meltdown of hype right now. I suppose it’s expectations. But thinking along those lines, I do think Microsoft may announce a deal with cable companies or satellite providers to bundle the Xbox One with Internet/TV service similar to what the Apple did with the iPhone and AT&T when it first came out. It’d be a perfect way to lower the perceived cost of the system and solve that Internet-connection issue. The TV feature that turned off gamers may even make this more appealing to the mainstream.

Can you have more than one Call of Duty in a year? This could happen. Sledgehammer Games hasn’t been quiet since Activision stole Dead Space creator Glen Schofield away from Electronic Arts. Other than the help they provided with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 not much has been heard from them. I’ve always wondered what the Foster City-based studio has been working on. Perhaps, we’ll find out at the show.

Capcom announces a new Darkstalkers. The fighting genre has never been stronger. Every time I expect it to start declining as it has done in the past, it proves even more resilient. (See the success of Injustice: Gods Among Us). If Capcom follows the pattern, it has one more fighting game to revamp and that’s its monster-themed fighting game. I expect the same 2.5D treatment as Street Fighter IV with a super special edition to follow a year after.

UNLIKELY TO HAPPEN BUT I WANT IT TO
Hideo Kojima reveals a new Zone of Enders. Yeah, I know this is unlikely but I always wanted a next-gen version of this mech title. It’d be fun to see, plus the re-release of the two PlayStation 2 games in HD gives a new generation of players some familiarity with the series.

Shigeru Miyamoto announced a new franchise. Let’s face it, the Wii U isn’t doing too well. To keep the console from suffering the same fate as the Dreamcast, there needs to be some drastic action. Perhaps a console price cut and a new Zelda/Mario/Metroid would help. That’s all fine and good but what I’m really hoping for is something fresh from the maestro. Miyamoto hasn’t come out with a new franchise in ages. Does he have one more game up his sleeve? What are his hobbies right now? Whatever it may be Nintendo and the Wii U may need the legendary game designer to come through one more time.

AND WHAT WILL BE THE GAME OF THE SHOW?
I want Bayonetta 2 or The Last Guardian to kill everything out there but I have a feeling that there may be a surprise RPG or shooter that will blow people out of the water.

Don’t bet against it. The freshman musical sensation has amassed a staggering 19 nominations, which means we could see a steady parade of so-called “Gleeks” to the winner’s podium.

Then again, Emmy could toss a great big slushy in their faces.

New blood among the nominees, after all, doesn’t always result in new winners. Emmy voters tend to pick a horse and ride it into the ground. That’s why “30 Rock” will be gunning for its fourth consecutive triumph as TV’s Outstanding Comedy, and why “Mad Men” is a decent bet to win its third straight Outstanding Drama trophy. “The Amazing Race” will go for its eighth consecutive win in the reality competition category.

Meanwhile, Glenn Close, Alec Baldwin and Bryan Cranston could all pull off a three-peat in their respective categories. And let’s not overlook “Monk” star Tony Shalhoub, who already has three Emmys — and a remarkable eight nominations — to his credit.

This glut of reruns is one of several problems plaguing the Emmy telecast, which too often proves to be a snoozer. Oh, but we can always hope.

“Glee,” along with other newbies, “Modern Family” and “The Good Wife,” offer the prospect of some extra Emmy sizzle — and a real threat to the old guard. Especially intriguing is the Outstanding Comedy category, where “30 Rock” could be knocked off its pedestal by either “Glee “or “Modern Family.” Both are legitimate heirs to the crown. The former is a genre-melding, buzz-making phenomenon, while the latter rescued the family sitcom from oblivion. It will be fun to see how this one plays out.

Here’s a rundown of major categories and some picks, most of which favor Emmy newcomers. Wager at your own risk:

Outstanding DramaThe nominees: “Breaking Bad” (AMC); “Dexter” (Showtime); “The Good Wife” (CBS); “Lost” (ABC); “Mad Men” (AMC); “True Blood” (HBO).The lowdown: Emmy is still madly in love with “Mad Men,” so look for the streak to continue. But I’d love to see “Lost” go out with a farewell prize. Then again, voters might be as conflicted over the show’s epic finale as the viewers were.

Best Actress, DramaThe nominees: Connie Britton (“Friday Night Lights”); Glenn Close (“Damages,” FX); Mariska Hargitay (“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” NBC); January Jones (“Mad Men,” AMC;); Julianna Margulies (“The Good Wife”); Kyra Sedgwick (“The Closer,” TNT).The lowdown: I would leave wet smooches all over the TV screen if Britton pulled off a stunning upset, but look for Margulies to take home the trophy. In her triumphant return to television, she already has captured a Golden Globe and SAG Award.

Action figure Barack Obama and I are excited that Madden NFL 10 is in the house. He’s just commenting on how we’ll be playing it for a review next week. In the meantime, I’ll leave you with some predictions that EA Sports generated using the game. According to the folks there, this is how the individual awards will stack up:

NFL 2009 Season Awards (as simulated by Madden NFL 10):

NFL MVP – Tom Brady, New England Patriots
Offensive Player of the Year – Tom Brady, New England Patriots
Defensive Player of the Year – Patrick Willis, San Francisco 49ers
Offensive Rookie of the Year – Mark Sanchez, New York Jets
Defensive Rookie of the Year – Brian Orakpo, Washington Redskins
Coach of the Year – Andy Reid, Philadelphia Eagles.

Being a Chargers fan, I have to disagree with some things they come up with. I’m not sure if Tom Brady will be the same old Tom Brady after that knee surgery. I’m thinking that Adrian Peterson may have a better year. For you 49ers fans, it looks like Patrick Willis could be the Defensive Player of the Year. I hear he knows how to play linebacker.

As for the playoff picture, here’s what EA Sports has in its crystal ball: